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IN THIS ISSUE
From the Desk of
Fr. John Madigan, O.M.I.
Christmas Eve at Hope House
Christmas at the National
Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
Christmas Eve will find me, where the love-light gleams.
I’ll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams.
6:00 a.m. – All they want for Christmas is a place to call home. In, Haiti, Frankie and Silvo have been sitting on the front porch of Hope House for over an hour. They sit waiting for Oblate Fr. Marc Boisvert, who will make the most important decision in their lives.
Frankie, 7, and Silvo, 9, have experienced an abundance of turmoil in their young lives. Born into extreme poverty, the boys have almost always been hungry. Malnutrition has stunted their growth. They have never attended a day of school.
Abandoned by their father, Frankie and Silvo lived with their mother in a tiny shack with no water or electricity. When their mother became ill with tuberculosis, they lived with her at a clinic for the dying run by Mother Teresa’s Sisters. After their mom’s death, Frankie and Silvo were taken in by an aunt living in a small shack with 11 other people. Frankie and Silvo slept on the concrete floor, getting soaked every time it rained as water flowed into the home.
Unable to care for two extra children, the aunt brings Frankie and Silvo to Hope House. She pleads with Fr. Marc to take them in. Although the orphanage is already overcrowded, Fr. Marc can not say no. He welcomes the boys to their new home. They enter with just the clothes on their back and their only possession, a spoon.
7:00 a.m. – Entering Hope House, Frankie and Silvo are greeted by some of the other 150 boys and young men who live at the orphanage. Each has his own story of despair and hope.
Pierre, 12, was found by Fr. Marc
living in an
abandoned
truck. He
rummaged
through
garbage to
find
enough
food to
stay alive.
Ti’Je, 6, has limited eyesight. While living in a shack, a coconut fell on his right eye, causing severe swelling. Without medical attention, the eyelids sealed together. After arriving at Hope House, Ti’Je has undergone four surgeries to regain partial sight in the eye.
Frankel, 11, had supplemented his diet by eating cigarette butts and charcoal. Jorel, 6, spends most of his time sitting alone. Nobody can remember the last time they saw him smile or cry.
Michel arrived at Hope House when he was 12. Blood was all over his face. His stepmother, who had psychiatric problems, had hit him with a machete. He begged Fr. Marc to take him in and save his life. Now, two years later, Michel is the top ranked student at his school. He dreams of becoming a doctor.
The boys at Hope House greet Frankie and Silvo and show them where to sit for breakfast. Roosevelt, 13, teaches them how to make the sign of the cross. They share their spoon and a bowl of rice and beans.
We Three Kings of Orient are,
bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain,
mor and mountain,
following yonder star.
10:00 a.m. – As Frankie and Silvo adjust to their new surroundings, Fr. Marc meets with other visitors to the home.
The first to arrive is James, 16. His mother is dead and his father is paralyzed from the waist down. Each morning, James takes his father’s soiled bedsheet and clothes down to the river to be washed. He stops by Hope House to get some food for himself and his father. The routine is the same every morning, Christmas Eve is no different.
The next to arrive is Benito, 13. Deserted by his family, he lives in an abandoned shack. Benito stops by Hope House asking for some leftover food. He cries for Fr. Marc to take him in. But there is just no room for a teenage boy at this time. Benito will spend Christmas Eve alone in a dark, dirty shack, lying on the floor, the twinkle of the stars his only companions.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.
1:00 p.m. – After a lunch consisting of another bowl of rice and beans, the children enjoy a few hours of play. James has made a kite out of a trash bag and a ribbon. Older kids play soccer in the yard with a flat ball. Little kids tie string to Hot Wheel cars and pull them around the home. A staff member has kids lined up for haircuts. Daniel, 6, will not get his hair cut because of an infection on his scalp. Peroxide is poured over his entire head to kill the germs.
On the fuzzy television, Home Alone III is on with its holiday message of family and peace. The boys sit in amazement as the youngster on T.V. opens his Christmas presents. He gets a fire truck, bat and glove, model airplane, and several games. “I want to live at his house,” says Dieufet, 7. As the children play, Frankie sits on a bed that he will share with two other boys. The mattress has holes in it and ants are everywhere. Frankie is given a new shirt and spends 30 minutes playing with the plastic tag, folding it, twisting it, and using it to scoop up the ants.
Over the next few hours, Frankie makes several trips to the latrine. After each visit, he makes the sign of the cross. Roosevelt informs the youngster that its unnecessary to perform the religious gesture in that situation. The staff becomes concerned about Frankie’s frequency for the latrine. When they question him, they discover he has diarrhea. A visit to a nearby clinic results in a disappointing diagnosis: Frankie has worms. For the rest of Christmas Eve, Frankie will remain in bed. Medicine is purchased to kill the worms.
Angels we have heard on high,
singing sweetly through the
night, and the mountains
in reply, echoing their
brave delight.
7:00 p.m. – For the past two weeks, the children have been preparing a special Christmas play. They will perform it tonight for residents at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying. Silvo has a melancholy look on his face as the truck drives through the gate. His mother had died at the home just two weeks earlier.
The boys enter the home’s chapel.
There is complete silence except for the
song, “Here Comes Santa Claus,”
being played repeatedly on a tape
recorder at the wrong speed. The
residents are being helped to the
chapel. Those too sick will stay in bed,
listening to children singing through
their open window. For some, it will be
the last sound they hear before
departing this Earth.
The last of the audience members to arrive are the terminally ill children. They take their seats in the first two pews on the right, waving at the orphaned children on the other side. Most have AIDS or tuberculosis. Two sets of children, one on the right, the other on the left. The orphaned and the dying, the lucky and the unlucky.
The play begins as an angel appears to Mary. Soon, little angels appear flapping their glitter-covered cardboard wings down the aisle. Mary gives birth to Jesus, portrayed by a cabbage patch doll. The wise men and shepherds visit, bringing gifts to the Holy Family ranging from yo-yos to dishes.
Near the end of the play the little angels sit down in the first pew, next to the sick children. A three-year-old boy with AIDS is fascinated by the costume worn by Julio, 6. Julio lets the boy try on his costume…an angel gets his wings.
Jolly old Saint Nicholas,
now, you dear old man,
whisper what you’ll bring to
me, tell me if you can.
9:00 p.m. – Back at Hope House,
Frankie is still sleeping as the boys
gather in the chapel next door.
They sit with anticipation as employees
bring in boxes of small toys. There are
yo-yos, miniature footballs, and a few Winnie-the-Pooh See and Say.
A detective kit is placed on the bed next
to a sleeping Frankie.
John, the youngest child, at age 3, giggles with delight when handed his presents. He spends several minutes just holding them, too excited to see what is inside. When he finally starts to peel the wrapping away, he squeals as his gifts are revealed, two Hot Wheels, a Santa angel, and a plastic rain poncho. All the gifts together probably cost no more than one U.S. dollar, but the smile on John’s face is priceless.
Silent night, holy night.
All is calm, all is bright.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
10:00 p.m. – The children have decorated the chapel with their own unique flair for the Christmas Mass. Using Thanksgiving decorations, they hang streamers connected to pumpkins, apples, and oranges. The manger scene has the Holy Family with a few twists. A snowman wearing a wizard outfit is perched where the angel is usually hung. Julio has put a plastic candy cane in the crib in case Baby Jesus gets hungry.
As people begin to file in for Mass, the lights are turned off and singing begins. Choir members hold sparklers during the opening song as a neighborhood dog wanders down the aisle. The Mass is long and most of the younger kids fall asleep. They are carried back to their bedrooms by the older boys. When the collection plate is passed, $4 is accumulated. Father Marc is delighted, most Masses result in a collection of just 20 cents.
At the end of Mass, the boys who
are still awake prepare for bed. Father
Marc turns off the chapel’s lights and
shuts the windows. At home, Fr. Marc
wanders through the bedrooms
checking on his boys. They sleep
peacefully three or four to a bed. Evan,
4, is the only boy not asleep in his
room, pushing his Hot Wheel back and
forth, back and forth, over his mattress.
In the last bedroom, Frankie is awake. He is still weak but feeling much better. Father Marc shows the youngster the toys from his detective kit. Frankie smiles and curls up in his bed. Bells from a distant church strike midnight.
As Fr. Marc turns off the light he hears a tiny whisper coming from Frankie’s bed, “Good night, daddy.”
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
This Christmas, 74 Missionary Oblate Priests and Brothers will be reaching out to the poor in Haiti. The Missionary Oblates in Haiti and throughout the world need your prayers and support. You can help these men who have dedicated their lives to the poorest of the poor this Christmas season.
Offer your prayers and support today!
Call TOLL FREE 1-888-330-6264 or use
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